I Need to Stop Explaining My Daughter’s College Choice

Let me tell you about my daughter, Maggie. She was an excellent student in high school, was on the cross-country and track team, volunteered, and had a part-time job. She’s prime parent bragging material.

As a high school senior, she applied to a number of schools, and was accepted to all of them, including several competitive, prestigious schools in interesting far-away places. She also applied to the local state school, a safety school, the next town over. They accepted her and offered her...